Reports on an experiment designed to test the reliability of the cloze procedure in second language testing, specifically as a measure of overall language proficiency, and as a measure whose results are independent of style. (AM)

This article discusses the popular belief that girls are more advanced in language development than boys. (Author/NCR)

As as illustration of the way we can conserve the insights of the past and at the same time infuse them with a sense of discovery and personal creativity, the author sketches the relationship between anthropological theory and the problems of bilingual education. (MM)

The Chicano population in the Southwest is primarily bilingual. Chicano bilingualism persists amidst two opposing currents: language reinforcement through continuous contact with incoming Mexicans and isolation from other linguistic groups; and language shift, often the stronger current, from the permeation by the English language of all spheres…

Usage of the German "doch" is explained as an aid to teaching. (CHK)

A synthesis of research on the Franco-Ontarian school environment focuses on the maintenance of French by Franco-Ontarian students, their French language proficiency, and their native language instruction. The relevance of these issues in other French language minority settings is discussed. (MSE)

Briefly describes the rationale, history of development, and current status of the "proficiency-based" testing movement in the United States. and cites areas in which additional research and development work are recommended to enhance both the validity and the practical value of this approach. (Author/LMO)

A framework is proposed for an integrated course in which knowledge of a language is consciously related to the processes of interpersonal communication and the cultural aspects of marketing and negotiation. (Editor)

Comparisons of 91 deaf children's (ages 5-15) understanding of 25 sentences presented in American Sign Language (ASL), simplified English, and standard English showed no significant differences in the children's ability to comprehend the three different forms. Findings do not support proposals to substitute ASL or simplified English for standard…

Focuses on the increasing use of the so-called stative verbs found in the progressive aspect from the perspective of the nonnative speaker of English. The use of stative verbs in the progressive is a predictable consequence of the meaning of the present progressive and the particular discourse contexts in which progressive statives are found.…

Oral proficiency testing is contrasted with traditional academic testing to show its appropriateness as a technique for measuring the ability to speak and understand a foreign language. Implications for teaching foreign languages are discussed. (MT)

Discusses the results of a workshop examining the application of American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages proficiency testing to African languages, focusing on the possibility of an alternative testing procedure for those languages for which certified testers are not available and the potentials and problems of a team assessment…

Problems in the use of foreign graduate students as teaching assistants include cumbersome language proficiency testing, limited English proficiency, internal struggles in training programs, and rapidly increasing foreign graduate student enrollments. (MSE)

Results indicated significant differences between scores of the 18 low vision children (ages 1.5-4.5 years) and normal seeing agemates on auditory comprehension and verbal ability components of the Preschool Language Scale. (Author/DB)

Discusses the provisional proficiency guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and explores their application to two important areas of foreign language education--testing and curriculum development. Reviews the features of proficiency and achievement tests and describes two proficiency-based curriculum projects.…